The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset system from SteelSeries is a game changer. It offers premium sound, design, and an unrivalled level of customisation.
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is the latest entry in SteelSeries’ well-regarded line of gaming headsets and accessories. There is a less expensive wired version also available, but for the purpose of our review we’ll be focusing on the wireless model. Honestly, if you’re going premium you don’t want wires holding you back.
And when I say premium I really mean it. The Artcis Nova Pro Wireless headphones system doesn’t come cheap, but it doesn’t come quietly either. Every once in a while we witness new technology emerge that has the power to change how we consume and experience entertainment, and this headset system has the potential to do that.
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless package
The new offering from Danish gaming peripheral manufacturer SteelSeries consists of two interconnected parts: a rugged, elegant pair of headphones (with a retractable microphone) and a USB connected Wireless Base Station. These two products combine to create a system that could take your gaming experience (and performance) to the next level.
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless also comes packaged with Sonar, a state-of-the-art equalizer that enables you to isolate specific sounds and create an advantageous mix depending on the game you are playing. This could mean prioritising team chat over ambient sounds, or even placing a filter on your friend’s voice channel to reduce white noise.
This is a new era. Your era.
Introducing the Arctis Nova Pro and Arctis Nova Pro Wireless 🎧
Play like a god: https://t.co/Sko4kzOLOU pic.twitter.com/u8DASuf8kv
— SteelSeries (@SteelSeries) May 24, 2022
These three components combine to create an extremely polished and powerful solution for all your video game audio needs. However, for greater clarity, let’s discuss how and why the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is such a winner.
Sound Quality
Straight out of the box these headphones deliver. If you plug them into your PC or console of choice you won’t be disappointed. The headphones can be connected through a normal aux cable, but that’s really not what you should do. The Wireless Base Station does a phenomenal job of processing audio, and is capable of turning an average game’s sound into impressive 3D audio.
The soundscape is wide and immersive, with a muscular, powerful quality added to in-game sounds. I trialled the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless on Elden Ring (PC) and Horizon Forbidden West (PS5)Â and, when compared with my Sony WH1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones, they were superior. I’ve never heard video game sound this expressive.Â
While the headphones are undoubtedly tuned for use with video games, I found they did an admirable job when tasked with music and film/TV as well.
Noise Cancelling Technology and Microphone
I found the noise cancelling technology pretty damn good, perhaps just a little behind the flagship models of Sony and Bose. At the end of the day, the difference in quality isn’t significant – if it’s noticeable at all.
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless’s microphone, along with its accompanying Clearcast AI noise cancellation technology, is also great. I tested it out by recording clips of myself while my housemate noisily made dinner just a few metres away. With the filter turned all the way up you couldn’t hear a thing besides my voice.
I will note, however, that when Clearcast AI is turned up to max there is a noticeable effect on your voice; it’s not necessarily bad, and still perfectly clear, it just makes one’s voice sound unnaturally thick. This isn’t a significant issue though, as the noise cancelling technology still does a stellar job when dialled in at lower levels.
The only real problem is that you’ll wish your friends sounded half as good as you (which funnily enough, the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless system can also help out with).
Wireless Base Station and Sonar
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless isn’t just a set of headphones. They are a way of life. I jest, but only kind of. The sheer amount of customisation offered by the Wireless Base Station and the Sonar app (currently only available when you plug into a PC, but your presets can be brought over via the Base Station) is staggering.
No matter what kind of gamer you are, this system can give you what you want if you are willing to learn how to use it. Particularly relevant, is that the Wireless Base Station empowers you to alternate between two devices with a single press of a button.
It also enables you to control the mix between your game and another source, such as a Bluetooth phone call, Discord or Spotify. This is great for multitaskers, and surprisingly intuitive to actually do. Say goodbye to the old one-ear-on-one-ear-off technique – forever.
On top of this, the Sonar app, which is a free download for Arctis Nova Pro Wireless purchasers, allows gamers unprecedented control over what they hear.
Want to highlight the sound of footsteps in your mix, so no one can sneak up on you in Call of Duty? No problem. Find high pitched noises unnecessarily distracting? Just cut that frequency out with the intuitive equalizer. Want to run a filter on your friend’s microphone to get rid of static or background noise? It will take literally less than a minute.
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless system places all of these options at your fingertips; and the only question you’ll be left asking yourself is whether it’s fair or not…But then you’ll probably just get back to slaying (which you’ll never have to stop because the system’s dual battery design means it can run perpetually).
Is the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless system worth it?
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is a premium product that offers fantastic sound and extremely impressive flexibility. It can do practically anything you’d want it to, and quite possibly a few things you never even realised you wanted. The catch, unsurprisingly, is that it doesn’t come cheap.
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless has a RRP of AU $649. The wired version, the Arctis Nova Pro, costs roughly $150 less. In this context though, if you are going to go hard then I’d recommend going the whole way. And make no mistake about it – the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless truly is the whole way.
Learn more about the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless system from SteelSeries here.
